Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 36 / Friday, February 23, 2007 / Notices 8177 

election period, which will run from 

October 1, 2007 to November 15, 2007. 

Completed and signed forms must be 

returned by mail to the physician’s local 

carrier (the carrier that processes the 

physician’s Part B claims). Forms must 

be postmarked no later than June 15, 

2007. Additional details about CAP 

physician election will be available on 

the CMS Web site at http:// 

www.cms.hhs.gov/ 

CompetitiveAcquisforBios/ 

02_infophys.asp#TopOfPage. 

Authority: Section 1847B(a)(5)(A)(i) of the 

Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.) (No. 93.774, 

Medicare—Supplementary Medical 

Insurance Program). 

Dated: February 15, 2007. 

Leslie V. Norwalk, 

Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare 

& Medicaid Services. 

[FR Doc. E7–3037 Filed 2–22–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services 

[CMS–1544–N] 

Program; Public Meetings in Calendar 

Year 2007 for All New Public Requests 

for Revisions to the Healthcare 

Common Procedure Coding System 

(HCPCS) Coding and Payment 

Determinations 

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces the 

dates, time, and location of the 

Healthcare Common Procedure Coding 

System (HCPCS) public meetings to be 

held in calendar year 2007 to discuss 

our preliminary coding and payment 

determinations for all new public 

requests for revisions to the HCPCS. 

These meetings provide a forum for 

interested parties to make oral 

presentations or to submit written 

comments in response to preliminary 

coding and payment determinations. 

Discussion will be directed toward 

responses to our specific preliminary 

recommendations and will include all 

items on the public meeting agenda. 

DATES: Meeting Dates: The following are 

the 2007 HCPCS public meeting dates: 

1. Tuesday, May 1, 2007, 9 a.m. to 5 

p.m., e.s.t. (Supplies and Other) 

2. Wednesday, May 2, 2007, 9 a.m. to 

5 p.m., e.s.t. (Supplies and Other) 

3. Thursday, May 3, 2007, 9 a.m. to 

5 p.m., e.s.t. (Durable Medical 

Equipment (DME) and Accessories). 

4. Tuesday, May 15, 2007, 9 a.m. to 

5 p.m., e.s.t. (Drugs/Biologicals/ 

Radiopharmaceuticals/Radiologic 

Imaging Agents) 

5. Wednesday, May 16, 2007, 9 a.m. 

to 5 p.m., e.s.t. (Drugs/Biologicals/ 

Radiopharmaceuticals/Radiologic 

Imaging Agents) 

6. Tuesday, May 22, 2007, 9 a.m. to 

5 p.m., e.s.t. (Orthotics and Prosthetics) 

7. Wednesday, May 23, 2007, 9 a.m. 

to 5 p.m., e.s.t. (Orthotics and 

Prosthetics) 

The product category reported by the 

meeting participant may not be the same 

as that assigned by CMS. All meeting 

participants are advised to review the 

public meeting agenda at http:// 

www.cms.hhs.gov/medhcpcsgeninfo 

which identifies our category 

determinations, and the dates each item 

will be discussed. Draft agendas, 

including a summary of each request 

and CMS’ preliminary decision will be 

posted on our HCPCS Web site at http:// 

www.cms.hhs.gov/medhcpcsgeninfo at 

least 1 month before each meeting. 

Registration Deadlines: Individuals 

must register for each date they plan 

either to attend or to provide a 

presentation. For the May 1, 2, and 3, 

2007 public meeting dates, the deadline 

for registration is April 24, 2007; for the 

May 15 and 16, 2007 public meeting, 

the deadline for registration is May 8, 

2007; for the May 22 and 23, 2007 

public meetings, the deadline for 

registration is May 15, 2007. 

Deadlines for Submission of 

Supporting Material: The deadline for 

submitting materials and writings that 

will be used in support of an oral 

presentation are: Public meetings held 

on May 1, 2, and 3, 2007, the deadline 

is April 17, 2007; public meetings held 

on May 15 and 16, 2007, the deadline 

is May 1, 2007; public meeting held on 

May 22 and 23, 2007, the deadline is 

May 8, 2007. 

ADDRESSES: Meeting Location: The 

public meetings will be held in the main 

auditorium of the central building of the 

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 

Services, 7500 Security Boulevard, 

Baltimore, MD 21244–1850 

Registration and Special 

Accommodations: Individuals wishing 

to participate or who need special 

accommodations or both must register 

by completing the on-line registration 

located at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/ 

medhcpcsgeninfo; or by contacting 

Felicia Eggleston at (410)786–9287; 

felicia.eggleston@cms.hhs.gov or Gloria 

Knight at (410)786–4598; 

Gloria.Knight@cms.hhs.gov, for the 

meetings for May 1, May 2, May 3, 2007 

meetings. 

For the May 15, May 16, May 22, and 

May 23, 2007 meetings, contact Jennifer 

Carver at (410)786–6610; 

Jennifer.Carver@cms.hhs.gov or Trish 

Brooks at (410)786–4561; 

Trish.Brooks@cms.hhs.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jennifer Carver, 410–786–6610 or 

Jennifer.carver@cms.hhs.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

On December 21, 2000, the Congress 

passed the Medicare, Medicaid, and 

SCHIP Benefits Improvement and 

Protection Act of 2000 (BIPA) (Pub. L. 

106–554). Section 531(b) of BIPA 

mandated that we establish procedures 

that permit public consultation for 

coding and payment determinations for 

new durable medical equipment (DME) 

under Medicare Part B of title XVIII of 

the Social Security Act (the Act). The 

procedures and public meetings 

announced in this notice for new DME 

are in response to the mandate of 

section 531(b) of BIPA. 

We published a notice in the 

November 23, 2001 Federal Register (66 

FR 58743) providing information 

regarding the establishment of the 

public meeting process for DME. It is 

our intent to distribute any materials 

submitted to CMS to the HCPCS 

workgroup members for their 

consideration. CMS and the HCPCS 

workgroup members require sufficient 

preparation time to review all relevant 

materials. For this reason, our HCPCS 

Public Meeting Coordinators will only 

accept and review presentation 

materials received by the deadline for 

each public meeting, as specified in the 

DATES section. Therefore, we are 

implementing a 10-page submission 

limit and firm deadlines for receipt of 

any materials and presentations the 

meeting participant wishes CMS to 

consider. 

The public meeting process provides 

an opportunity for the public to become 

aware of coding changes under 

consideration, as well as an opportunity 

for CMS to gather public input. 

II. Meeting Registration 

The following information must be 

provided when registering: Name, 

company name and address, telephone 

and fax numbers, e-mail address, and 

special needs information. A CMS staff 

member will confirm your registration 

by mail, e-mail, or fax. 

A. Registration Process for Primary 

Speakers 

Individuals must also indicate 

whether they are the ‘‘primary speaker’’


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8178 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 36 / Friday, February 23, 2007 / Notices 

for an agenda item. Primary speakers 

must be designated by the entity that 

submitted the HCPCS coding request. 

When registering, primary speakers 

must provide a brief written statement 

regarding the nature of the information 

they intend to provide, and advise the 

HCPCS Public Meeting Coordinator 

regarding needs for audio/visual 

support. To avoid disruption of the 

meeting and ensure compatibility with 

our systems, tapes and disk files are 

tested and arranged in speaker sequence 

well in advance of the meeting. We will 

accept tapes and disk files that are 

received by the ‘‘Submission Deadline’’

for each public meeting, as specified in 

the DATES section of this notice. The 

sum of all materials including 

presentation may not exceed 10 pages 

(each side of a page counts as 1 page). 

An exception will be made to the 10- 

page limit for relevant studies published 

between the application deadline and 

the public meeting date, in which case, 

we would like a copy of the complete 

publication as soon as possible. 

These materials may be delivered by 

regular mail or by e-mail to the 

respective HCPCS Public Meeting 

Coordinators as specified in the 

ADDRESSES section. Individuals will 

need to provide 35 copies if materials 

are delivered by mail. 

B. Registration Process for 5-Minute 

Speakers 

In order to afford the same 

opportunity to all attendees, there is no 

pre-registration for 5-minute speakers. 

Attendees can sign up only on the day 

of the meeting to do a 5-minute 

presentation. They must provide their 

name, company name and address, 

contact information as specified on the 

sign-up sheet, and identify the specific 

agenda item that they will address. 

C. Additional Registration Information 

Additional details regarding the 

public meeting process for all new 

public requests for revisions to the 

HCPCS, along with information on how 

to register and guidelines for an 

effective presentation, will be posted at 

least 1 month before the first meeting 

date on the HCPCS Web site: http:// 

www.cms.hhs.gov/medhcpcsgeninfo. 

Individuals who intend to provide a 

presentation at a public meeting need to 

familiarize themselves with the HCPCS 

Web site and the valuable information it 

provides to prospective registrants. The 

HCPCS Web site, also contains a 

document titled ‘‘The Healthcare 

Common Procedure Coding System 

(HCPCS) Level II Coding Procedures,’’

which is a description of the HCPCS 

coding process, including a detailed 

explanation of the procedures used to 

make coding and payment 

determinations for all the products, 

supplies, and services that are coded in 

the HCPCS. A summary of each public 

meeting will be posted on the HCPCS 

Web site by the end of August 2007. 

III. Presentations and Comment Format 

We can only estimate the amount of 

meeting time that will be needed since 

it is difficult to anticipate the total 

number of speakers for each meeting. 

Meeting participants should arrive early 

since each meeting is anticipated to 

begin promptly at 9 a.m. Speakers need 

to arrive prepared and wait until it is 

their turn to speak. Meetings may end 

earlier than the stated ending time. 

A. Oral Presentation Procedures 

Individuals who are planning to 

provide an oral presentation must 

register as provided under the section 

titled ‘‘Meeting Registration.’’ Materials 

and writings that will be used in 

support of an oral presentation should 

be submitted to the HCPCS Public 

Meeting Coordinators as specified in the 

DATES section. 

These materials may be delivered by 

regular mail (postmark date no later 

than deadline date) or by e-mail to the 

respective HCPCS Public Meeting 

Coordinators specified in the ADDRESSES

section. Individuals will need to include 

35 copies if materials are delivered by 

mail. 

B. Primary Speaker Presentations 

The individual or entity requesting 

revisions to the HCPCS coding system 

for a particular agenda item may 

designate one ‘‘primary speaker’’ to 

make a presentation for a maximum of 

15 minutes. Fifteen minutes is the total 

time interval for the presentation, and 

the presentation must incorporate the 

demonstration, set-up, and distribution 

of material. In establishing the public 

meeting agenda, we may group 

multiple, related requests under the 

same agenda item. In that case, we will 

decide whether additional time will be 

allotted, and may opt to increase the 

amount of time allotted to the speaker 

by increments of less than 15 minutes. 

We will post ‘‘Guidelines for 

Participation in Public Meetings for All 

New Public Requests for Revisions to 

the Healthcare Common Procedure 

Coding System (HCPCS) Coding and 

Payment Determinations’’ on the official 

HCPCS Web site at least a month before 

the first public meeting in 2007 for all 

new public requests for revisions to the 

HCPCS. Individuals designated to be the 

primary speaker must register to attend 

the meeting using the registration 

procedures described under the section 

titled ‘‘Meeting Registration’’ and, at 

least 15 days before the meeting, contact 

the appropriate HCPCS Public Meeting 

Coordinators, specified in the 

ADDRESSES section. 

C. ‘‘5-Minute’’ Speaker Presentations 

Meeting attendees can sign up at the 

meeting, on a first-come, first-served 

basis, to make 5-minute presentations 

on individual agenda items. Based on 

the number of items on the agenda and 

the progress of the meeting, a 

determination will be made at the 

meeting by the meeting coordinator and 

the meeting moderator regarding how 

many 5-minute speakers can be 

accommodated. 

D. Speaker Declaration 

On the day of the meeting, before the 

end of the meeting, all primary speakers 

and 5-minute speakers must provide a 

brief written summary of their 

comments and conclusions to the 

HCPCS Public Meeting Coordinator. 

The primary speakers and the 5- 

minute speakers must declare in their 

presentations at the meeting, as well as 

in their written summaries, whether 

they have any financial involvement 

with the manufacturers or competitors 

of any items or services being discussed; 

this includes any payment, salary, 

remuneration, or benefit provided to 

that speaker by the manufacturer or the 

manufacturer’s representatives. 

E. Written Comments From Meeting 

Attendees 

Written comments can be submitted 

either the before or at the meeting via email to http://www.cms.hhs.gov/ 

medhcpcsgeninfo or via regular mail to 

the HCPCS Public Meeting Coordinator, 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services, 7500 Security Boulevard, Mail 

Stop C5–08–27, Baltimore, MD 21244. 

Due to the close timing of the public 

meetings, subsequent workgroup 

reconsiderations, and final decisions, 

we are able to consider only those 

comments received in writing by the 

close of the public meeting at which the 

request is discussed. Written comments 

to this address are also accepted from 

the general public anytime up to the 

date of the public meeting at which a 

request is discussed. 

IV. Security, Building, and Parking 

Guidelines 

The meetings are held in a Federal 

government building; therefore, Federal 

security measures are applicable. In 

planning your arrival time, we 

recommend allowing additional time to 

clear security. In order to gain access to 


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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 36 / Friday, February 23, 2007 / Notices 8179 

the building and grounds, participants 

must bring government-issued photo 

identification and a copy of your written 

meeting registration confirmation. 

Persons without proper identification 

will be denied access. 

Individuals who are not registered in 

advance will not be permitted to enter 

the building and will be unable to 

attend the meeting. The public may not 

enter the building earlier than 45 

minutes before the convening of the 

meeting each day. 

Security measures will also include 

inspection of vehicles, inside and 

outside, at the entrance to the grounds 

and buildings. In addition, all persons 

entering the building must pass through 

a metal detector. All items brought to 

CMS are subject to inspection. We 

cannot assume responsibility for 

coordinating the receipt, transfer, 

transport, storage, set-up, safety, or 

timely arrival of any personal 

belongings or items used for 

demonstration or to support a 

presentation. Special arrangements and 

approvals are required in order to bring 

pieces of equipment or medical devices 

at least two weeks prior to each public 

meeting. These arrangements need to be 

made with the appropriate public 

meeting coordinator. It is possible that 

certain requests, made in advance, of 

the public meeting could be denied 

because of unique safety, security or 

handling issues related to the 

equipment. A minimum of two weeks is 

required for approvals and security 

procedures. Any request not submitted 

at least two weeks in advance of the 

public meeting will be denied. 

Parking permits and instructions are 

issued upon arrival by the guards at the 

main entrance. 

All visitors must be escorted in areas 

other than the lower and first-floor 

levels in the Central Building. 

Authority: Section 1102 and 1871 of the 

Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1302 and 42 

U.S.C. 1395hh). 

Dated: January 29, 2007. 

Leslie V. Norwalk, 

Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare 

& Medicaid Services. 

[FR Doc. E7–3034 Filed 2–22–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services 

[CMS–1383–N2] 

Medicare Program; Listening Session 

on the Draft Plan for Medicare Hospital 

Value-Based Purchasing—April 12, 

2007 

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces the 

second Listening Session being 

conducted as part of the development of 

a plan for Medicare hospital value-based 

purchasing, as authorized by section 

5001(b) of the Deficit Reduction Act of 

2005 (Pub. L. 109–171) (DRA). The 

purpose of the second Listening Session 

is to solicit comments on the Draft Plan 

that has been developed. Hospitals, 

hospital associations, and all interested 

parties are invited to attend and make 

comments in person. The perspectives 

expressed during this session and in 

writing will assist us in making 

revisions to the Draft Plan to create the 

final Medicare Hospital Value-Based 

Purchasing Plan to be completed by 

June 2007. The Draft Plan will be posted 

no later than March 22, 2007 on the 

CMS Web site, Hospital Center, under 

Spotlights at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/ 

center/hospital.asp. 

DATES:

Meeting Date: The listening session 

will be held on Thursday, April 12, 

2007 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. e.d.t. 

Registration and Request for Special 

Accommodations Deadline: Registration 

will open February 26, 2007. For 

security reasons, registration must be 

completed no later than 5 p.m. e.d.t. on 

Thursday, April 9, 2007. Requests for 

special accommodations must be 

received by 5 p.m. e.d.t. on Thursday, 

April 9, 2007. See Section III. below for 

detailed instructions. 

Deadline for Submission of Written 

Comments or Statements: Written 

comments on the Draft Plan may be sent 

by mail, fax, or electronically and must 

be received by 5 p.m. e.d.t. on April 19, 

2007. 

ADDRESSES:

Meeting Location: The Listening 

Session will be held in the main 

auditorium of the central building of the 

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 

Services, 7500 Security Boulevard, 

Baltimore, MD 21244–1850. 

Registration and Special 

Accommodations: Persons interested in 

attending the meeting or listening by 

teleconference must register by 

completing the on-line registration 

located at http:// 

registration.mshow.com/cms2/. 

Individuals who need special 

accommodations should contact Robin 

Phillips at (410) 786–3010, by e-mail to 

robin.phillips@cms.hhs.gov, or by 

regular mail to Mail Stop C4–13–07 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services, 7500 Security Boulevard, 

Baltimore, MD 21244–1850. 

Written Comments or Statements: 

Written comments on the Draft Plan 

may be mailed to Mail Stop C4–13–07 

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 

Services, 7500 Security Boulevard, 

Baltimore, MD 21244; e-mail to 

cmshospitalVBP@cms.hhs.gov or fax to 

410–786–0330. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Robin Phillips, 410–786–3010 in the 

Medicare Feedback Group. You may 

also send inquires about this meeting 

via e-mail to 

robin.phillips@cms.hhs.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

Section 5001(b) of the Deficit 

Reduction Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109–171) 

(DRA) specifies that we develop a plan 

to implement a Value-Based Purchasing 

(VBP) Program for payments under the 

Medicare program for subsection (d) 

hospitals (as defined in section 

1886(d)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act) 

beginning with FY 2009. The Congress 

specified that the ‘‘plan’’ include 

consideration of the following issues: 

• The ongoing development, 

selection, and modification process for 

measures of quality and efficiency in 

hospital inpatient settings. 

• The reporting, collection, and 

validation of quality data. 

• The structure of value-based 

payment adjustments, including the 

determination of thresholds or 

improvements in quality that would 

substantiate a payment adjustment, the 

size of such payments, and the sources 

of funding for the value-based 

payments. 

• The disclosure of information on 

hospital performance. 

In developing the plan, we must 

consult with relevant affected parties 

and consider experience with 

demonstrations that are relevant to the 

VBP program. We have created an 

internal Hospital Pay-for-Performance 

Workgroup that is charged with 

developing the VBP Plan for Medicare 

hospital services. This Workgroup is 

organized into four subgroups to 

address each of the required planning 


cprice-sewell on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES